A saying is something that is said, notable in one respect or another, to be "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth."
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11answers
3k views
Phrase for overusing just-learned skills?
Is there a saying or word for indicating the overuse of something you just newly learned? Say you were happy with a hammer and a nail and then somebody taught you the virtues of a screw and ...
38
votes
4answers
2k views
Why “Speak of the devil”?
Why is the expression "Speak of the devil" and not "Speaking of the devil"? For me, the -ing would make more sense because you're currently talking about someone, when he/she appears.
For example, if ...
33
votes
10answers
2k views
“To shoot out of cannon into sparrows”
In Russian we have idiom/saying "To shoot out of cannon into sparrows" (literal translation) which is used to convey an idea of applying too drastic measures to small problems. I believe there should ...
21
votes
8answers
813 views
What is a better way to name “The Wrong Question”?
On StackOverflow.com I often find that people ask questions about problems that arise due to poor design choices (typically due to a lack of knowledge about the particular programming language).
For ...
17
votes
2answers
705 views
“Some champagne for my real friends, some real pain for my sham friends.”
Some champagne for my real friend, some real pain for my sham friends."
Is there a name for this kind of sentence?
Note: I'm not sure the origin of this, but it is a line in Spike Lee's movie, ...
15
votes
13answers
2k views
What is an expression for something you particularly like?
I'm not a native English speaker. I want to find the English equivalent of
ho un debole per le ragazze svedesi
that, in Italian, basically means "I particularly like Swedish girls." (It's just ...
15
votes
6answers
4k views
He's good people. Just him. The one guy
I think this is a Midwestern thing, but where does the phrase "good people" come from? I'm referring specifically to the usage: "I like Bob. He's good people."
14
votes
4answers
391 views
“The whole nine yards”
What is the origin of the phrase "the whole nine yards"? Is it a reference to some game of sports I am not familiar with (as a continental European)?
13
votes
12answers
2k views
Phrase for focusing on unimportant details
I'm looking for a idiom or saying that I could use when people are focusing too much on small details and not seeing the big picture.
A couple that come to mind are "being penny-wise and pound ...
13
votes
1answer
2k views
I'm British, so should I take a rain cheque?
I want to write the phrase "take a rain cheque" and am British.
Should I therefore use the British spelling of the word cheque, or respect the baseball origin of the phrase "rain check" and use the ...
12
votes
3answers
6k views
Which is the correct idiom: “First thing's first” or “First things first”?
I've gotten into a debate over which usage of an apostrophe in the phrase "first thing(')s first" is correct.
My thinking is that one would take the first thing and give it priority, hence the first ...
11
votes
1answer
205 views
Meaning of “match Greek with Greek”
From Christmas Storms and Sunshine by Elizabeth Gaskell (4th paragraph):
Jenkins had his wife too. Wives were wanting to finish the
completeness of the quarrel, which existed one memorable ...
10
votes
2answers
4k views
Is it “a tough row to hoe?”, or “a tough road to hold?”
Is it an old farming metaphor, or a military saying? Where did this(these) saying(s) originate?
9
votes
5answers
1k views
Is there a saying like 'those who find faults with other people tend to be blind to their own faults'?
Is there a saying that could be explained as 'those who find faults with other people tend to be blind to their own faults?' As with people who are picky; their criticism of others often applies to ...
9
votes
5answers
28k views
What is the meaning and origin of the common phrase “the world is your oyster”?
What does the world is your oyster mean, and where does it come from?
8
votes
2answers
5k views
8
votes
5answers
696 views
Is there a saying in English corresponding to “Another loach under the willow tree”?
In Japanese there's a saying "another loach" in the short form, "look for another loach under the same willow tree" in the long form.
This saying is for ridiculing a person who blindly repeats what ...
8
votes
4answers
7k views
Origin of the phrase “Now we're cooking with _”
I have heard this phrase as:
Now we're cooking with gas.
Now we're cooking with grease.
Now we're cooking with heat.
Now we're cooking with fire.
Which of these is the original version, and ...
8
votes
8answers
2k views
7
votes
3answers
666 views
A saying indicating how some professionals don't apply their skills for themselves
Some made-up examples:
Architect's house is always crooked.
Mechanic's car is leaking
Chef's breakfast is as plain as boiled eggs
Is there an established saying for these situations?
6
votes
7answers
339 views
Idiom/word/saying request: Accepting a situation out of desperation
How can I say for example:
Individual retailers run out of business when a big fish came to town. So they had accepted that they cannot compete and closed their stores.
In the novel To Kill A ...
6
votes
2answers
4k views
What's the origin of the saying, “There's no accounting for taste”?
I hear it all the time in arguments over subjective judgements:
There's no accounting for taste.
Where does this saying come from? Is it a quote or old proverb?
6
votes
3answers
2k views
Talking out of the side of your mouth
Talking out of the side of your mouth
This means one is lying, right? Or something else?
5
votes
12answers
1k views
Are there any English sayings to the effect that little changes may lead to big changes?
Can you think of any sayings about change, especially ones expressing
how a big change must begin with a little change?
how certain institutions, ideas, or God remain eternally unchanged?
Note: ...
5
votes
3answers
477 views
Is there an English equivalent for the Swedish expression “the droplet that caused the beaker to overflow”?
In Swedish, the expression "det var droppen som fick bägaren att rinna över", directly translated to "the droplet that caused the beaker to overflow", is used to express that enough is enough. Is ...
5
votes
5answers
857 views
Do you have English counterpart to “To ask a question is a shame of a moment. Not to ask the question is a shame for whole life”?
I doubt whether my question is worth asking or being answered every time I’m posting a question, and ask myself, “Doesn’t it look too naive or primitive a
question?”
However, I keep posting questions ...
5
votes
6answers
8k views
What is the origin of the saying, “faint heart never won fair lady”?
Having heard the phrase, "faint heart never won fair lady" for the third time in very short span, I'm determined to find out its origin. Unfortunately, when I Google, I'm getting a bunch of ...
5
votes
2answers
4k views
“Tit for tat”—Where does this come from?
I always ask myself where this saying originates. I only know the individual words, tit and tat, but why is this a saying?
5
votes
2answers
852 views
How do I explain “The man on the Clapham omnibus” to the man on the Clapham omnibus?
I have found that I had to explain what "the man on the Clapham omnibus" means to someone.
I had taken it for granted that the phase was in standard usage, as my parents used it when I was a child.
...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
Meaning of “take the lead out”
What is the meaning of the saying take the lead out? I ask because I was watching this video from the 1960's show What's My Line and Groucho Marx writes this on a blackboard (where he's supposed to ...
5
votes
5answers
13k views
Is it 'Close to the chest' or 'Close to the vest'?
Apologies if this is a duplicate, I am just curious.
Are they both valid? Which originated first?
5
votes
2answers
1k views
Origin of “spill the beans”
I believe this phrase means "to betray information".
Could someone please explain its origin?
4
votes
6answers
353 views
How to say “I must nothing” on a t-shirt
My son has a t-shirt that says, in Polish, "Nic nie muszę". It translates literally as "Nothing (I do) not must", meaning something like I do not have to do anything.
How would you express this in ...
4
votes
5answers
222 views
Analogy for arising difficulties
I'm looking for a metaphor or analogy for experiencing more and more difficulties (after getting more familiar with a certain teaching or art). I think I have seen a few in the past but I can't think ...
4
votes
3answers
326 views
“Strike gold” but without the implication of searching?
Whenever I hear the phrase I struck gold the fact the person had to have done a certain search is implied to me. Is this correct?
For example, if I say:
Janet loves sex so much! I've struck gold ...
4
votes
3answers
8k views
More idioms like “needle in a haystack” relevant to hidden/hard to find items? [closed]
Are there more idioms, sayings or phrases similar to "needle in a haystack" that are relevant to hidden objects, or difficult to find items?
Also interested in similar nouns relevant to the somewhat ...
4
votes
1answer
901 views
Meaning and origin of “belt and braces” [closed]
What does the phrase belt and braces mean and where did it come from?
I have a rough idea but would like to see if anyone has a proper definition for this phrase.
3
votes
3answers
384 views
“Par for the course”
From your personal experience, is "par for the course" widely understood, or would you recommend using a less technical term?
I am particularly interested in differences between American, British, ...
3
votes
4answers
360 views
“Best is enemy of the good” (Russian idiom/saying)
What are English equivalents for following Russian idiom: "best is enemy of the good"? In Russian it means that if you are going too much after perfection you may make things even worse instead of ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
Why is the term “double-edged sword” used for something that can be favorable and unfavorable?
When something can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences, the term double-edged sword is often used to describe it. Why?
Does a double-edged sword have unfavorable consequences? Are ...
3
votes
2answers
3k views
What is the origin of “A cat in hell's chance”
What is the origin of the phrase: "A cat in hell's chance"?
I understand it to mean "not a chance", but it seems a very curious saying and I wonder how it originated.
e.g.
Bob: Do you ...
3
votes
2answers
361 views
What is “dook dook” called in English?
I've noticed that there are some sounds like:
Animal sounds
nature sounds e.g. raining sound
what are these called in English?
3
votes
3answers
111 views
Phrase for someone taking over business when you skip for humanity
Is there a witty or general saying of indicating the act of taking over a business when a person, business or country skips an opportunity for general benevolence?
Examples:
If I don't sell weapons ...
3
votes
4answers
2k views
What is the origin of “wake up and smell the roses”
Where did this saying come from, and what is its true meaning?
3
votes
1answer
469 views
What does “I'll kill that cat” in the play Dinner for One mean?
In the play Dinner for One, James the butler says, "I'll kill that cat," at time 14:05. What does this mean? Is he referring to the tiger rug which keeps tripping him, or is it a saying or ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
“What to do when you live in a shoe”
Where does the phrase "what to do when you live in a shoe" come from?
I was asked today why I use slow internet and responded, "What to do when you live in a shoe" as though my internet limitation(s) ...
3
votes
2answers
317 views
“A wrong answer” vs “the wrong answer”
In English, when presented with a list (real or imagined) or answers that could be given to a question, and the correct one is not given, we will say that somebody has given "the wrong answer". ...
3
votes
2answers
3k views
What is the origin of the phrase “two nations divided by a common language”?
What is the origin of the phrase "two nations divided by a common language"?
I have seen it attributed to Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and even Winston Churchill.
The most likely looking source ...
2
votes
10answers
1k views
What are some old-world alternatives or precursors to 'WTF' (expressions of frustration or surprise)? [closed]
Such as 'what on Earth' or 'what in the world', etc. I'm trying to come up with a list of witty alternatives.
Note: I'm not looking for alternatives to the letters W, T, and F. I'm looking for ...
2
votes
3answers
677 views
Dropped the pen and threw up the sponge
This was said by one of my mates while retelling a story. The story runs that there was a court being held, and there was a recording-clerk as well. But this was a humor story, and the story continued ...
